30 weeks – 70 days to go!

So much has happened since the last update: mother’s day, baby registry, Paulinha’s baby shower, 4D Ultrasound and the list goes on. Slowly Duke and I try to prepare as best as we can for Ryder’s arrival; the whole process is very exciting and overwhelming at times, but as we advance in this journey and experience the expected and unexpected we realize that it is nothing short of extraordinary.
This past month we got to celebrate a very special event, mother’s day, my first mother’s day! It was very special and wonderful to be celebrated; I even got a greeting card from Ryder! For the past two months we’ve been working on the baby registry, and what a task!!! The first time we went to the store, Paulinha and Gary went with us to start on their baby registry as well, and as expected the dads-to-be didn’t seem very excited, but once we got to the store and they realized that they would be getting hold of a “gun” the fun began! Well, at least for Duke. The whole experience was daunting for both of us. There were too many choices and decisions to make; we spent about an entire hour just trying to decide on which stroller to select. After a few hours we felt exhausted and realized that we could not complete the registry in one day, it would take us a while… we are still working on it ;o)

This past week we went for the 4-Dimensional Ultrasound, which is a real-time view of the the fetus inside the womb. Unfortunately, our little guy did not collaborate with us, he had his little arm over his face almost the entire time, so we couldn’t get "good" pictures. We are trying again this Friday and hopefully he will be in a more favorable position. Although we didn’t get the views we hoped for we were able to witness Ryder opening his little eyes and mouth and it was truly incredible to watch him moving inside the womb. We'll wait until Friday to see if we can get some good pictures to post.

Ryder has grown larger and by last Friday his weight was 2 lbs and 15 ounces. He is a very active bebê; I swear the other day he was break dancing in my belly. He moves all day long and I can see my whole stomach shape change as he tries to find a comfortable position in what for now is his little home. There has been a lot of “flashing” in the Glover’s household, belly-flashing in case you are wondering ;o). Lately that has been our pass time, stare at my naked belly and observe Ryder’s movements, it totally amazes us. Our bebê can now open and close his eyes and although he is inside the womb he can sense changes in brightness causing his pupils adjust to. As his taste buds develop he can respond to different tastes like sweet, sour, and bitter by making expressions with his face. Hopefully he enjoys the taste of homemade pizza drizzled with truffle oil, roasted bone marrow and passion fruit ice cream. And although not scientifically based I am hoping that by exposing him to different foods he will develop a broad palate and follow on his mother’s path of becoming a Culinarian, a better one of course.

Aside from his taste buds other important developments take place, head hair is starting to grow, although if he is anything like his mama he won’t have much hair to show, poor little guy; His brain is undergoing a dramatic development these remaining months as it develops sections responsible for lifetime roles such as memory and speech.

This is my last trimester and I can definitely tell; it feels as if I went to bed carrying a soccer ball and the next thing I know I woke up carrying a watermelon! Little tasks that we absolutely take for granted such as bending over or shaving have become a challenge. It is actually the only complaint I have about being pregnant, having difficulty accomplishing these little tasks. On the other hand who cares about these little challenges when you have a wonderful husband who gladly rubs lotion on your feet and give you a little “ssage” while at it?! Duke has been a blessing and as I grow less and less able to do things on my own he is right there to help me out.

So far I have gained 15 lbs and it seems to be mostly belly weight, but I keep hearing that my weight may change dramatically these last few weeks, so let’s see what happens. I walk 4-5 days a week, although these last 2 weeks I haven’t had the stamina to get out there, and I’ve been very careful with my diet watching what I eat and trying to make the healthiest choices possible, for both myself and Ryder, but sometimes it is hard to stay away from the ice cream… I don’t have any crazy cravings, but I do crave for sweets a lot, especially these few last weeks. We purchased an ice cream maker and for a while Duke and I were out of control making ice cream. Well, if you don’t believe in “Divine Intervention” let me tell you something, there is such a thing. The ice cream maker broke, so no more evening sweet treats for Duke and I, well at least not ice cream.

Up to now I have felt very energetic and very predisposed to do anything as I did before the pregnancy, but that changed a little once I hit the 30th week. I sometimes feel extremely tired and I just can’t get myself to do much; it is a different kind of tiredness I almost feel that I am in a state of hibernation, but I am not the only one feeling this way. Duke is going through a psychosomatic process called Couvade, a “mysterious dad-to-be ailment”. I kid you not. Our friends Kelly and Kathy gave us a book titled “The Art of Expecting” which has some very cool and interesting information about pregnancy such as the symptoms of couvades. The book goes on to say that dads experience baby-making as a physical event. In Duke’s case he’s been experiencing unexpected bouts of fatigue.

Maybe some of you already know this, but another very interesting piece of information we’ve learned is concerning the role the father’s DNA plays in the conception of their babies. Scientists have determined that the placenta is the making of the father’s DNA. Maternal genes nurture the embryo, but it is the father’s DNA, the XY cells, that provide the cocoon for the embryo to develop. Isn’t that amazing?!

Every day we learn something new and experience new feelings. Aside from Ryder’s biological development another very important development is taking place in our new three-some life and that is the bond that grows between our little Ryder and us. As he gets ready to make his debut, to us and to the world, Duke and I are developing strong feelings for him; feelings of caring, protecting, concern and everything that sums up a four letter word, an indescribable Love.

Until next update.

Duke, Laura and Ryder